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Cool Alsatian Sippers

Come summer, I crave wines that are pure, fresh, young, and
vivid-wines as invigorating as ocean water or mountain air. Several
wines fill this bill, but none outshine those of Alsace. Bordered
by Germany and Switzerland, France's Alsace region looks as if it
inspired a Grimm's fairy tale, with sun-dappled vineyards, quaint
villages, and timbered houses adorned with window boxes.

The five top Alsatian wines are all white: riesling,
gewürztraminer, pinot gris, muscat, and pinot blanc. Boldly
aromatic, totally dry, often full-bodied, and crisp, they are about
as extroverted and edgy as wines get. These qualities make them
stellar food partners. In fact, they are terrific choices when, as
is so often the case in summer, you have a table full of different
foods and need one wine to serve with everything.

Luckily for us, the Alsatian producers who export their wines
here are terrific, so it's nearly impossible to go wrong, whatever
brand you buy. Some names you'll see: Trimbach, Hugel, Kuentz-Bas,
Zind Humbrecht, Ostertag, Josmeyer, and Weinbach. Because Alsatian
wines are named for their grape variety, not for the place from
which they come, it is easy to read the region's wine labels and
understand what's in the bottle. See below for tips on matching
these tasty wines to summer foods.

• Considered the queen of Alsatian wines, the area's
riesling is among the world's most powerful and intense.
Serve it with smoked fish, scallops, grilled chicken, or pork.